A MAN has been found guilty of the 'utterly abhorrent' murder of a man in his 60s.
Michael Joyce, 33, denied murdering 61-year-old Michael White by repeatedly striking him and inflicting blunt force trauma injuries to his head and body on April 22 or 23, 2023.
However, he was today convicted by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Mr Joyce's partner, 28-year-old Antonia Gunn, was acquitted of the charge on a unanimous not proven verdict.
Mr White was found dead within a property at Plock Road in the village Kyle of Lochalsh in the Scottish Highlands on April 23 last year.
An examination of his body revealed rib fractures and internal injuries, with experts concluding he died due to complications of blunt force trauma and heart disease.
He was also emaciated and had been suffering from peritonitis, an infection of the lining of the abdomen that can be life-threatening if left untreated.
'Friend' claim
According to the BBC, other charges against Joyce and Gunn were withdrawn during the trial, including one brought under human trafficking and exploitation legislation.
The Crown had accused them of holding Mr White in servitude between May 2021 and April last year, as well as instructing him to transfer money to them and drive them to appointments.
Joyce was told he could face life when he is sentenced on December 5.
"Michael Joyce's actions towards Michael White were utterly abhorrent," said Detective Inspector Richard Baird of Police Scotland.
"Initially following his death he attempted to present himself as a friend of Mr White, and it was only after a post mortem that it became apparent he had in fact died as a result of injuries he had inflicted.
"We welcome this conviction and, while this cannot change what happened, Joyce will now face the consequences of his actions."
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